The Human Emperor c1-2382

by Huangfu Qi (皇甫奇)

  “Damn it!”

  The one who was the most aggrieved and reluctant at this time was undoubtedly Kong Wu. With these generals and officers from the border intervening, his chances of becoming the temporary Minister of War had become minuscule.

  He had waited for ten-some years and the tenures of three different Ministers of War. He had thought that this was finally his moment to at least become the temporary Minister of War, but Wang Chong had come out of nowhere and dealt him a crushing blow.

  Kong Wu could not accept this!

  But no matter how he struggled, the voices supporting Wang Chong were growing louder and louder.

  The hall became deathly still. Some of the officials looked up at the First Prince while others looked toward Huo Jue.

  Huo Jue’s actions today had undoubtedly provoked the First Prince’s ire, but it was clear that he had already readied himself for this. He had already cast aside any thought of himself. No matter what happened to him later on, he had reached his goal today. All that was left was to await the First Prince’s judgment.

  Would he stubbornly insist on promoting Kong Wu, or would the pressure from King Song and the border generals make him appoint Wang Chong?

  This matter was too far-reaching and far too sensitive. No one dared to recklessly speak at this time.

  Taihe Palace was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. The First Prince clenched his fists, his expression dour.

  In the past, he might have tried to act more surreptitiously, but the border incident and the Public Order Squad incident had already made it an open secret that he was on unfriendly terms with Wang Chong. How could he possibly show Wang Chong a good face?!

  And Kong Wu was the candidate that he had internally approved while Wang Chong was clearly his enemy.

  Chapter 1677 - Temporary Minister of War!

  Chapter 1677: Temporary Minister of War!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  “Reporting!”

  As the officials were waiting for the First Prince to make his decision, another report arrived at the court.

  “Jiangnan Circuit, Guannei Circuit, Henan Circuit, Qianzhong Circuit… sixteen governors and governor aides in total, and one hundred officials of various status, have jointly recommended the King of Foreign Lands for the post of temporary Minister of War!”

  Bang!

  This abrupt news threw the court into chaos once more. The recommendations of King Song, Zhangchou Jianqiong, Gao Xianzhi, and the other border generals were understandable, but this was truly unexpected. This was because all the officials mentioned in the letters were civil officials, and logically speaking, they should have stood on the side of the First Prince and the Confucian Sect. It should have been impossible for them to support Wang Chong.

  The First Prince’s face alternated between shades of green and white. A few moments ago, he could have pushed past the opposition and continued to recommend Kong Wu, but with these hundred officials, the support for Wang Chong had reached the maximum level. It was no longer his decision.

  Whoooah!

  Before anyone could react, the grim First Prince waved his sleeve and suddenly rose from the dragon throne.

  He would never personally promote Wang Chong! Never!

  “Court is dismissed!”

  Spitting out these last words, the First Prince swiftly left the court, the flabbergasted officials watching him go.

  With the departure of the First Prince, Taihe Palace erupted. Clearly, none of them had expected this result.

  ……

  Crack!

  An exquisite wine cup of azure porcelain crashed into a corner of the Eastern Palace and exploded into countless tiny shards.

  “Bastard! Bastard!

  “Wang Chong! This prince will tear you to pieces!”

  Furious roars resounded within the Eastern Palace.

  Now that he was out of Taihe Palace and away from the eyes of the officials, the First Prince no longer needed to repress his rage. He gave it free rein, his expression savage, his face red, his eyes streaked with blood. He was like a wild beast seeking someone to consume.

  Bing! Crack! Clang!

  The palace was in turmoil as everything that could be smashed was tossed about, from large tables, chairs, and vases, to porcelain cups and paperweights. The Eastern Palace was a scene of devastation.

  All the maids and eunuchs of the Eastern Palace were trembling in fear, and the surrounding guards were also uneasy. Even though they had served the First Prince for many years, this was the first time they had ever seen him so angry.

  Next to a pillar, the Ghost King sat on his armchair and calmly took everything in. In the entire Eastern Palace, the Ghost King was the only man who did not fear the First Prince, but those thick eyebrows of this wise strategist were deeply furrowed.

  He was more concerned with the events in court than the First Prince’s rage. The matter with Kong Wu was not merely about the post of temporary Minister of War, but was also related to their future plans. If they couldn’t put their own man in that post, what came next would be extremely problematic.

  “It seems like I underestimated him!” the Ghost King finally said.

  Although Wang Chong’s reputation in the Great Tang was as high as the noon sun, he was merely an insignificant junior to the Ghost King. His only true opponent was the man locked up in the Su Residence, Su Zhengchen. But Wang Chong’s move this time had truly caught him by surprise.

  “Bastard! King Song is ill in bed and can’t even move! How could he have offered his support? This must be that bastard’s plan! And there’s also Gao Xianzhi and Geshu Han! This prince never acted against them, but now they dare to oppose this prince?!”

  The First Prince’s body seethed with anger.

  The mood in the hall was oppressive. It was clear that no one wanted to speak up while the First Prince was raging. But regardless, the result of this court session had truly been surprising.

  At this moment, Meng Tu suddenly spoke, his head tilted downward in thought. “Your subordinate does not find it strange that Gao Xianzhi and Geshu Han would help him. After all, Wang Chong once held the post of Qixi Protector-General and was based very close to the other two. And with the strength of these Protector-Generals and Wang Chong’s prestige in the military, it would be easy to get the joint recommendation of ten thousand officers. What your subordinate finds strange is the recommendations from the governors and governor aides. Does it make any sense for them to stand on the side of the Bureau of Military Personnel?”

  The extremely furious First Prince suddenly froze and stopped, his eyes turning thoughtful. He shared the same suspicions as Meng Tu.

  After a few moments of thought, the First Prince’s expression calmed, and he declared, “It’s the retired Grand Commandant!”

  The mention of the retired Grand Commandant left everyone else stunned.

  “The retired Grand Commandant?”

  Meng Tu deeply frowned. He clearly didn’t understand the significance of this title.

  “The retired Grand Commandant served as an important official over three different rulers, and he has an upright and frank personality. His status is similar to that of Master Zhu, and even the Sage Emperor regards him with great respect,” Zhu Tong’en explained, deep worry on his brow. “Moreover, he has many disciples and old friends. In the provinces and prefectures, many governors and governor aides studied under him. He’s the only one who could have had so many people express their support for Wang Chong.

  “The others can be disregarded, but the retired Grand Commandant possesses extraordinary status. If he’s standing on Wang Chong’s side, we’re in trouble!”

  “But the retired Grand Commandant has not involved himself in the court for decades. Why would he break precedent and help Wang Chong now?” another advisor suddenly asked. “In addition, if I recall correctly, the retired Grand Commandant and Wang Chong should have never met before. Even
when Duke Jiu was in power, he still chose to stay in the background. Why would he support Wang Chong?”

  The others were all confused and doubtful. Those in the military might not have known about the retired Grand Commandant, but any civil official with status or weight did.

  The retired Grand Commandant coming out of nowhere to support the King of Foreign Lands was truly too confusing, and also extremely difficult to deal with.

  The First Prince said nothing, but he was just as worried.

  “Now is not the time to think about such things, but to think about how to handle this matter! Your Highness, you cannot ignore the voices of the border officers and prefectural governors forever!” Zhu Tong’en said.

  Everyone instantly stared at the First Prince, awaiting his decision.

  The First Prince immediately fell silent.

  Appointing Wang Chong as temporary Minister of War was something he absolutely could not accept.

  ……

  “Your Highness, the First Prince has dismissed the court!”

  While the First Prince was conferring with his advisors in the Eastern Palace, in the King of Foreign Lands Residence, Wang Chong, Gao Xianzhi, and Zhangchou Jianqiong were gathered together.

  Gao Xianzhi had paid a public visit to Wang Chong’s residence after presenting himself in the palace. As for Zhangchou Jianqiong, he had dressed in leisure clothes and arrived surreptitiously.

  Wang Chong had already heard about how the First Prince had ended today’s court session midway and stormed off in anger.

  This was the first time this had happened since the First Prince had become the regent. It was clear that the First Prince loathed Wang Chong for his interference and would rather dismiss the court than announce that Wang Chong was to be made the temporary Minister of War.

  “The First Prince is extremely prejudiced against you now, regarding you as a thorn in his side. It won’t be that easy to make him pronounce you as temporary Minister of War,” Gao Xianzhi said with a frown, seated rigidly in an armchair to Wang Chong’s left.

  “We can’t afford any more delays. With King Song’s collapse, there’s no one left in the court to stand for the Bureau of Military Personnel and fend off the First Prince and the Confucian Sect. The more chaotic things become, the more necessary it becomes to calm the people down. Wang Chong, there’s no better candidate than you right now,” Zhangchou Jianqiong said.

  Resting at home to recover from an illness had been Zhangchou Jianqiong’s makeshift plan to escape the danger he had sensed, but Zhangchou Jianqiong firmly believed that Wang Chong taking his place in the court was the best plan at the moment.

  Wang Chong’s perception, intuition, intelligence, and finesse had all been tested and confirmed through various trials. Even Zhangchou Jianqiong had to admit that Wang Chong had surpassed both him and King Song, and possessed the capacity to lead all of them.

  With him there, they would be able to restrain the First Prince and prevent the Great Tang from growing even more chaotic.

  He had discussed this matter before with King Song, and the two of them had been in agreement.

  But it seemed like it would be harder to pull it off than they had first imagined.

  To everyone’s surprise, Wang Chong lightly sipped on his tea and confidently declared, “Relax! The First Prince will agree!”

  These words immediately made him the center of attention. None of them understood why Wang Chong was so certain that the First Prince would hand over the post of temporary Minister of War.

  “Reporting!”

  A moment later, a figure came inside and kneeled on the ground.

  “Your Highness, there is a eunuch from the court aside, saying that he has come to appoint Your Highness as temporary Minister of War. Your Highness, please go to receive the decree!”

  Gao Xianzhi and Zhangchou Jianqiong were stunned, and the hall fell absolutely silent. Wang Chong had just declared that the First Prince would make him the temporary Minister of War, and just when they were planning to ask him why he was so certain, the court had sent its messenger.

  “Hahaha!”

  Wang Chong heartily laughed, explaining nothing. He stood up and began to walk out, a calm and relaxed expression on his face.

  A man of great aspirations would not worry over small details, and the First Prince was the man with the great aspirations. Wang Chong was confident that he would allow it. Besides, he had Hou Junji at his side.

  This man would certainly say that Wang Chong should be given the post.

  “Come; let’s go to receive the decree!”

  Wang Chong chuckled as he crossed the threshold.

  Chapter 1678 - Entering the Court Once More!

  Chapter 1678: Entering the Court Once More!

  Translated by: Hypersheep325

  Edited by: Michyrr

  Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace…

  “Ghost King, what do you mean by this? You know that that bastard supports Fifth Brother. And that scoundrel has opposed us at every turn. Why should we let him be the temporary Minister of War?” the First Prince sternly said as he stared at the Ghost King.

  “Minor impatience can ruin great clans. He has spent a lot of time building up to this point, with the border generals and even governors and governor aides coming out to support him. Even in this situation, will Your Highness still refuse him?” the Ghost King asked back, his expression indifferent.

  The First Prince became speechless, wanting to say something but quickly falling silent.

  “Since we can’t refuse, we might as well agree.”

  The Ghost King smiled.

  “I don’t care what you want to do, but no matter what, our plan must proceed. In addition, think of a way to get rid of that bastard for me!”

  The veins on the First Prince’s forehead bulged.

  It had been incredibly difficult for him to get enough evidence to strip Wang Chong of his position of Advisor-in-Waiting and drive him out of the court.

  This time, right after he had gotten rid of his two most powerful enemies in court, King Song and Zhangchou Jianqiong, Wang Chong had suddenly come back and forced his way into the court, even taking the post of Minister of War.

  He had achieved an even higher status!

  “Heheh, Your Highness, relax. I know what to do. Everything is under my control.”

  The Ghost King spoke with absolute confidence.

  These words caused the First Prince’s rage to somewhat fade.

  After a few moments of silence, the First Prince clenched his teeth.

  “No! This prince cannot sit by and watch. Tell them that it’s about time to move out!”

  A cold and vicious killing intent flitted through his eyes.

  ……

  While all this was going on in the Eastern Palace, the news that Zhangchou Jianqiong had taken ill and was being temporarily replaced by Wang Chong as Minister of War sent shockwaves through the capital and elation along the border.

  Ever since Wang Chong’s Advisor-in-Waiting position had been removed, there had been little news about him on the political front. This youngest Marquis, most dazzling general, and the first King of the Great Tang by a different surname was still the center of the realm’s attention, but he was far from its center of authority.

  No one had expected that he would become the Minister of War, even if only temporarily. This was the highest and most illustrious position he had yet achieved.

  Time quickly passed, and it was soon time for another court session. The entire capital was noisy and raucous, and the officials left their residences earlier than usual as they gathered together before the appointed time.

  “The King of Foreign Lands has returned! The court will be a restless place from now on!”

  “The First Prince and the King of Foreign Lands get along like fire and water! Who would have thought that he would actually agree to make Wang Chong the temporary Minister of War?”

  “The First Prince couldn’t
do anything about that. No one expected the King of Foreign Lands to intervene. While Kong Wu is exceptionally qualified, when it comes to influence or prestige, the King of Foreign Lands is on an entirely different level. He could never win against the King of Foreign Lands!”

  “The King of Foreign Lands came with great force, and I’m afraid that, with his personality, things aren’t going to end just here!”

  “That’s right! Today’s court session is going to be a bad one!”

  The officials of the capital had gathered in various parts of the capital, where they worriedly whispered to each other. The King of Foreign Lands had a fierce personality, as could be seen from the border incident and Public Order Squad incident. Only the King of Foreign Lands could have established that ‘Public Order Squad’ independent of the court and without the officials even knowing about it beforehand, and the court had even approved it in the aftermath.

  The Public Order Squads could now be found patrolling throughout the capital.

  As for the First Prince…

  Although he was only temporarily the regent and had not been in this position for very long, the First Prince could no longer be considered young. Moreover, before all this, the Sage Emperor had allowed him to take part in governmental affairs, and there were many times when the First Prince could be seen listening from the sidelines.

  While his time in the position had been short, the First Prince was beginning to slowly develop the demeanor of a sovereign. Moreover, almost all the officials in the court at this time were standing on the First Prince’s side. Wang Chong might have pushed the First Prince into a passive position and forced him into agreeing to make Wang Chong the temporary Minister of War, but the First Prince would not likely let the matter go.

  Letting him into the court might have been only to more savagely beat him down.

  Elsewhere in the capital, some other officials had gathered, but these people had entirely different expressions.

  “What do we do? We just barely managed to drive him out, but now he’s back!”